Sweetener : Drabbles

#5 Stay

The world around her is catching on fire, Priya should have known better to believe that her and Ram could be happy. She wonders if the two of them are cursed, because life can never give them peace.

Priya puts her hand on her chest, her heart is aching as she stares at the photo Ram is showing her so proudly of his father standing in front of his car. Priya watches his smile falter as he looks at her, concern so evident in his kind eyes and she feel her knees getting weaker.

Priya turns her face away, her hands shaking as she run her fingers through her hair. Priya knew her father was a monster, not capable of caring for others but finding out that her father is behind the murder of her father-in-law. Her father is the reason Ram, the love of her life, lost his dad. His everything.

Priya closes her eyes, tears falling from her eyes. Priya tries to open her mouth to tell Ram, but she has no courage nor the strength to do so.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she hears him ask gently as he cups her cheeks

The love, the care in his voice becomes her breaking point and she closes her eyes shutting down all her emotions. Ram deserves better, better than her broken pieces and baggage but most of all not to be reminded of his biggest loss each time he stares at her.

"Priya don't do that. Remember no shutting down your emotions when things get scarry. Whatever it is, just grab my hand and tell me. Whatever is worrying you, it won't change the way I feel about you"

Ram offer her his hands and she grabs it desperately

"I think Mr.Sood is the one behind your dad's accident "she stammers

The concern in his eye's fades into a hollow look, it's a look she won't be able to forget because it will haunt her for the rest of her life. Ram looked lifeless, as someone staggered a knife through his heart. Priya bit her lips to stop herself from sobbing, wishing she could carry some of his pain, so he doesn't have to stand in the rain alone anymore.

She watches as her husband falls in his knees; his eyes red as he gasps for breath.

"

Ram" she calls out worried, falling on her knees as well as she cups his face with her shaking hands

"Priya, my dad..." he whimpers as his voice breaks down

"He will have to pay for what he did, and everyone who helped him" she hears him say, his voice firm and cold

Priya nods meekly, as she has no words to take away his pain, she is struggling to know how to comfort him. Priya bit her lips, thinking what he would do if the situation was reversed.

Priya carefully pulls him in her arms, she feels his shoulders relax in her embrace as he sobs into her arms. She can't help but think how much grief her husband has been dealing with for years, all by himself. Always being the strong one for his family.

"I love you, I'm so sorry" she says as she ran her hands through his hair, in a desperate attempt to offer him comfort

"Will you stay with me?" she hears him ask

Priya kisses his forehead, taking his hand in her as she does the one thing his love has taught her. Priya loves him through the storm, and she stays with him through the last raindrops falls down from the sky.

"Every step on the way, whatever you need" she replies

"Just hold my hand Priya, I don't want you to get involved. This is my fight; I just want you to be the one I get to go home to after the war"

"Okey, you have my word I won't get involved "she whispered before kissing his forehead as she looks at their intertwined hands, her eyes fall on their wedding bands. Her husband is going to go through literal hell, and she prays to God that there is some light behind the tunnel

"You can cry it out, scream and get angry. Every emotion you are feeling is valid, and you don't have to keep it together for your mom, for your brother or sister. You don't have to hide your pain in front of me"

Ram moved away from the warmth of her embrace, wiping his tears. Ram carefully stood up, offering her his hand to help her stand up as well. Priya grabbed his hand, her eyes locking into his as he helped her stand up.

"I need to take some calls to my contacts in the police, then I need to tell my family», he said his voice detached. Had it been anyone but Priya they would have found the coldness in his voice alarming

"Ram, you don't have to do this right away, you can take time to grieve" she said softly

Ram shook his head absentminded "All I have done since he has been gone is grieve, and I get the rest of my life to do so. But for the first time since he left, I got the chance to bring him justice and I can't rest until I do. Now tell me everything you know, why you believe that man is behind my father's murder."

Priya tells him about the license plate before handling it over to him

"Are you going to give it to Krish?" she asked before biting her lips, remembering her promise to not interfere.

"Sorry, I was not going to get involved in this" she replied

"Krish, has not really been as helpful in this case as I wanted. I have some contacts in the police, I'm going to reach out to them. I will let Krish know his work is done" Ram said as he traced the license plate slowly

Priya nodded as she looked at him worried

"How do you tell your mom and younger siblings a news like this?" he asked her, his voice trembling the coldness from earlier gone

"No one should ever have to" she replied taking his hand in hers

"Will you be there when I do?" she hears him ask as he run his thumb on her wedding ring

"Every step on the way, remember" she promised as she hit her forehead with his, placing her hand on his beating heart hoping she can help him with some of the pain, as he always does for her. 

A/N : Hope you guys liked the drabble series, would love to know what your thougts are :)